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Generally speaking, people dislike it when favoritism is displayed towards one person versus another. It's nice when you are the teacher's favorite but feels awful for the other students. I personally feel that teachers (as well as parents) should not show favoritism towards one child but treat all children equally.

Generally speaking, people dislike it when favoritism is displayed towards one person versus another. It's nice when you are the teacher's favorite but feels awful for the other students. I personally feel that teachers (as well as parents) should not show favoritism towards one child but treat all children equally.

I've been the teacher's pet and I've always be the one hated by the teacher. It's awkward on both sides. I had a teacher who asked me if I thought we had a "special relationship." She gave me A++'s (not A+'s, but A++'s) throughout the entire year and made me the winner for every contest we had. Though I was the one getting them and I was only 8 or 9, even I could see how unfair that was. I had another teacher who constantly got me in more trouble for the same things other students did, never gave me any rewards even when I did the same things other students did, and either watched or joined in when I got bullied instead of stopping it, etc. Needless to say, that didn't feel good either.

IMO it's best if a teacher at least doesn't indicate any favoritism or dislike, even if personally they do have favorites (which I can understand because we all have certain people we click with more than others). But it's absolutely not fair and will make your students feel like crap if you are obviously more rewarding and lenient with certain students and more draconic and unforgiving with others.

I've been the teacher in a few situations myself and personally even though we all have people we click with more naturally, I don't think it's too hard to find something you like about every student so that you can treat them equally. It also helps if you try to think why a student who is behaving annoyingly is doing so. What's their home life like, are they frustrated with something, are they feeling unheard, do they have a hidden disability, etc. Not to say every student who acts up has a major psychological problem, but usually when someone acts up, there's a reason behind it, and it only takes a little bit of observation and consideration to figure out what it is.

That said, I don't think it's too much to ask of teachers to treat their students equally!

My best friend in grade school was a great all-rounder and our 5th grade teacher was always praising her. She felt VERY uncomfortable being singled out, and eventually I told the teacher about her discomfort. The favoritism stopped, but my end-of-year report said "... is very outspoken at times"!

Interesting. I went to a Catholic elementary and middle school, and there was a girl in our class who enjoyed being the teacher's pet. She went out of her way to be helpful to the teachers.

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